Network boot QNX 6.3.0 x86

QNX Newsgroups (Archives) qnx.rtos
1

I’d like to boot a standard Intel x86 PC over the network from a QNX 6.3.0
image. I found a reference to lanworks boot proms in the docs.

How can I do this? I have a windows box that can server as a tftpd server.

Thanks
Nick

2

Hello,

May be etherboot and grub user manuals will give a clue for you.

Regards,
Igor.

Nick C. wrote:

I’d like to boot a standard Intel x86 PC over the network from a QNX 6.3.0
image. I found a reference to lanworks boot proms in the docs.

How can I do this? I have a windows box that can server as a tftpd server.

Thanks
Nick

3

You need a network card that supports PXE (Intel and 3Com usually do).
Built-in network chips usually support it to (look for PXE options in the
BIOS Setup, they usually are disabled by default and may be named something
like ‘Ethernet Option ROM’ or ‘Network Option ROM’, etc.).

Then you need DHCP and TFTP service on your Windows box (3Com variant of PXE
may require ‘PXE server’ as well, I am not sure). The DHCP server should be
configured to supply IP and boot file (at least).

To boot QNX you will need pxegrub (it is part of GRUB package) compiled for
your network card. Use latest GRUB version (0.94), the earlier ones may have
problems with some PXE versions. You also need to generate
multiboot-compliant variant of QNX boot image (in the build file replace
‘bios.boot’ with ‘elf.boot’).

The logic is, your PXE card will broadcast request for IP and boot file
(using DHCP). Once some server has replied, PXE card will send request to
that server for that boot file (using TFTP). The boot file you should use is
pxegrub. Once it is downloaded, pxegrub will talk to the server, get its
config file (that you can write) and based on that config file show a boot
menu on the screen (it is optional). Then it downloads either selected or
default boot image (which has to be either Linux/BSD or a
multiboot-compliant OS image).

QNX added multiboot compliance from version 6.2.1, but their standard boot
images are not (which is why you need to use elf.boot).

– igor

“Nick C.” <qnx@qrts.com> wrote in message news:ciptsd$nl1$1@inn.qnx.com…

I’d like to boot a standard Intel x86 PC over the network from a QNX 6.3.0
image. I found a reference to lanworks boot proms in the docs.

How can I do this? I have a windows box that can server as a tftpd server.

Thanks
Nick

4

Igor
Thanks for the info. I will try the intel card route.
Nick

“Igor Kovalenko” <kovalenko@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:civ1f6$m9b$1@inn.qnx.com…

You need a network card that supports PXE (Intel and 3Com usually do).
Built-in network chips usually support it to (look for PXE options in the
BIOS Setup, they usually are disabled by default and may be named
something
like ‘Ethernet Option ROM’ or ‘Network Option ROM’, etc.).

Then you need DHCP and TFTP service on your Windows box (3Com variant of
PXE
may require ‘PXE server’ as well, I am not sure). The DHCP server should
be
configured to supply IP and boot file (at least).

To boot QNX you will need pxegrub (it is part of GRUB package) compiled
for
your network card. Use latest GRUB version (0.94), the earlier ones may
have
problems with some PXE versions. You also need to generate
multiboot-compliant variant of QNX boot image (in the build file replace
‘bios.boot’ with ‘elf.boot’).

The logic is, your PXE card will broadcast request for IP and boot file
(using DHCP). Once some server has replied, PXE card will send request to
that server for that boot file (using TFTP). The boot file you should use
is
pxegrub. Once it is downloaded, pxegrub will talk to the server, get its
config file (that you can write) and based on that config file show a boot
menu on the screen (it is optional). Then it downloads either selected or
default boot image (which has to be either Linux/BSD or a
multiboot-compliant OS image).

QNX added multiboot compliance from version 6.2.1, but their standard boot
images are not (which is why you need to use elf.boot).

– igor

“Nick C.” <> qnx@qrts.com> > wrote in message news:ciptsd$nl1$> 1@inn.qnx.com> …
I’d like to boot a standard Intel x86 PC over the network from a QNX
6.3.0
image. I found a reference to lanworks boot proms in the docs.

How can I do this? I have a windows box that can server as a tftpd
server.

Thanks
Nick
\

5

You’re welcome. Just to clarify one bit - you do not absolutely have to use
GRUB (pxegrub). Technically, your DHCP server can advertize the QNX boot
image directly and PXE client will load it. The caveat is, your image will
have to be small enough (less than ~600Kb) because of PXE limitations. The
pxegrub is essentially a workaround for that limitation.

Of course when you’re doing a network boot you tend to need bigger image
files, since you want to put more into them. Since GRUB gives you ability to
select among multiple images, I prefer to use it.

“Nick C.” <qnx@qrts.com> wrote in message news:cj20r4$1v1$1@inn.qnx.com…

Igor
Thanks for the info. I will try the intel card route.
Nick

“Igor Kovalenko” <> kovalenko@comcast.net> > wrote in message
news:civ1f6$m9b$> 1@inn.qnx.com> …
You need a network card that supports PXE (Intel and 3Com usually do).
Built-in network chips usually support it to (look for PXE options in
the
BIOS Setup, they usually are disabled by default and may be named
something
like ‘Ethernet Option ROM’ or ‘Network Option ROM’, etc.).

Then you need DHCP and TFTP service on your Windows box (3Com variant of
PXE
may require ‘PXE server’ as well, I am not sure). The DHCP server should
be
configured to supply IP and boot file (at least).

To boot QNX you will need pxegrub (it is part of GRUB package) compiled
for
your network card. Use latest GRUB version (0.94), the earlier ones may
have
problems with some PXE versions. You also need to generate
multiboot-compliant variant of QNX boot image (in the build file replace
‘bios.boot’ with ‘elf.boot’).

The logic is, your PXE card will broadcast request for IP and boot file
(using DHCP). Once some server has replied, PXE card will send request
to
that server for that boot file (using TFTP). The boot file you should
use
is
pxegrub. Once it is downloaded, pxegrub will talk to the server, get its
config file (that you can write) and based on that config file show a
boot
menu on the screen (it is optional). Then it downloads either selected
or
default boot image (which has to be either Linux/BSD or a
multiboot-compliant OS image).

QNX added multiboot compliance from version 6.2.1, but their standard
boot
images are not (which is why you need to use elf.boot).

– igor

“Nick C.” <> qnx@qrts.com> > wrote in message
news:ciptsd$nl1$> 1@inn.qnx.com> …
I’d like to boot a standard Intel x86 PC over the network from a QNX
6.3.0
image. I found a reference to lanworks boot proms in the docs.

How can I do this? I have a windows box that can server as a tftpd
server.

Thanks
Nick


\

6

Thanks for all the info Igor.
Nick

7

Igor Kovalenko <kovalenko@comcast.net> wrote:

problems with some PXE versions. You also need to generate
multiboot-compliant variant of QNX boot image (in the build file replace
‘bios.boot’ with ‘elf.boot’).
…
QNX added multiboot compliance from version 6.2.1, but their standard boot
images are not (which is why you need to use elf.boot).

not necessarily. the normal ifs image boots fine with the help of loadifs.
http://mama.indstate.edu/users/liug/loadifs-1.1.tar.gz

Frank